This site is best viewed with a modern browser. You appear to be using an old version of Internet Explorer.

Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies

Also known as: ANCA; MPO/PR3; c-ANCA; p-ANCA

Please note that all ANCA requests are screened in the Laboratory to ensure that testing is restricted to those patients whose presenting features suggest a high pre-test probability of small vessel vasculitis. ANCA requesting should be confined to patients presenting with:

Chronic necrotising large airways disease

Cavitating pulmonary nodules

Subglottic stenosis

Pulmonary-renal syndrome

Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis

Cutaneous vasculitis accompanied by systemic symptoms

Mononeuritis multiplex

IgG antibodies directed against neutrophil enzymes systems are useful in the diagnosis and management of systemic necrotising vasculitis.

The main systemic necrotising vasculitides that are associated with a positive ANCA pattern are Granulomatous Polyangitis (GPA/Wegener's Granulomatosis), Microscopic Polyarteritis, Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis and Churg-Strauss Syndrome.

Two major forms of pattern are seen: the cytoplasmic ANCA (cANCA) usually associated with autoantibodies against anti-proteinase 3, and the perinuclear (pANCA) pattern generally associated with myeloperoxidase auto-antibodies.